Running form is a hot topic that can often confuse runners. This week’s guest offers actionable advice to help you discover your own best form to improve your running and stay healthy.
Dr. Matt Minard runs the popular Learn 2 Run account on Instagram to help runners stay healthy, strong and improve their running technique. He is a physical therapist, orthopedic clinical specialist, and certified strength and conditioning specialist.
Matt’s experience with physical therapy as a high school athlete helped him discover a love for the profession, and as both a runner and physical therapist he is dedicated to helping athletes stay healthy and strong.
Matt and I explore a variety of topics related to form to give you practical advice you can apply to your own running, including:
This conversation is full of practical advice you can apply immediately to your own running - enjoy!
Links & Resources from the Show:
Ice Barrel makes at-home barrels you can use for ice baths that don’t take up an entire room. And they’re lightweight enough that even I can carry it without help. There’s an easy drain system and it’s made in the United States from 100% recycled material.
Cryotherapy has been shown to improve mood, reduce anxiety, and reduce inflammation. It can reduce pain and blood flow to jump start the recovery process. Cold plunges are great for when you need extra recovery, like if you accidentally ran a lot longer or faster than planned.
But the real reason I love a good cold plunge is because of the profound mental benefits. It’s been shown to reduce depression and anxiety, improve mood and brain function, and even 5 minutes gives you a great shot of dopamine afterward. If you can sit in an ice bath up to your shoulders, you won't have any mental issues with racing a negative split and finishing strong!
Go to IceBarrel.com and use discount code strengthrunning for $125 off your barrel.
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There are broad elements of training that all runners need to work on in order to improve. But if you tailor your workouts to your unique physiology, you can continue to get stronger through your master’s years and beyond.
A master’s runner himself (by European standards), this week’s podcast guest is Eoin Everard.
He is a physiotherapist with a PhD in Biomechanics. He’s also a sub-4 minute miler, a sub-14 minute 5k runner, and a five-time Irish National Champion in the 1500 and 3000m. As an elite runner and chartered physiotherapist, Eoin brings an incredible amount of knowledge and experience to the athletes he works with.
Having faced his own struggles with injuries over the years, Eoin has learned how to change his approach to training to get the most from his body while also staying healthy. Since becoming a European Master’s athlete, he has focused less on exact splits and more on running by effort.
Eoin and I dig deep into a variety of training related topics, including:
Links & Resources from the Show:
A big thanks to Elemental Labs for their support of this episode! They make electrolyte drinks for athletes and low-carb folks with no sugar, artificial ingredients, or colors. And you can get a free sampler pack of 4 flavors and 8 individual packets when you pay $5 in shipping.
Elemental Labs' products have some of the highest sodium concentrations that you can find. Anybody who runs a lot knows that sodium, as well as other electrolytes like magnesium and potassium, are essential to our performance and how we feel throughout the day.
The citrus flavor has quickly become my favorite. I’m drinking one a day now to help me get enough fluids in our dry Colorado air. It’s tasty and delicious and I find that I’m not peeing every 45 minutes throughout the day, which might be an indication I wasn’t eating enough sodium.
There’s now mounting evidence that higher sodium intake levels are not unhealthy – and athletes need substantially more than your typical sedentary person. Of course, ask your doctor if you’re worried. But for those athletes running outside in the heat, an electrolyte replacement makes a lot of sense. So check out Elemental Labs to try their new flavor or get a free sampler pack.
Ice Barrel makes at-home barrels you can use for ice baths that don’t take up an entire room. And they’re lightweight enough that even I can carry it without help. There’s an easy drain system and it’s made in the United States from 100% recycled material.
Cryotherapy has been shown to improve mood, reduce anxiety, and reduce inflammation. It can reduce pain and blood flow to jump start the recovery process. Cold plunges are great for when you need extra recovery, like if you accidentally ran a lot longer or faster than planned.
But the real reason I love a good cold plunge is because of the profound mental benefits. It’s been shown to reduce depression and anxiety, improve mood and brain function, and even 5 minutes gives you a great shot of dopamine afterward. If you can sit in an ice bath up to your shoulders, you won't have any mental issues with racing a negative split and finishing strong!
Go to IceBarrel.com and use discount code strengthrunning for $125 off your barrel.
While endurance may not be the sexiest word when it comes to better running, it is certainly the most essential.
Endurance is a broad term that applies to every aspect of your running, whether you are looking to run longer, faster, or both! But in order to build endurance, you first need to start with consistency. While there is no magic bullet to running faster, consistency in training is about as close as it gets.
In this episode of the podcast I’ll go in depth about each of the three strategies you can use to improve your endurance. While the second and third options each carry slightly more risk since they involve faster or longer, sustained efforts, they can all be safe, useful training tools when applied correctly:
No matter where you're at in your journey as a runner, you can always continue to build your endurance. Enjoy this episode that offers strategies for everyone!
Links & Resources from the Show:
We’re also supported by Impossible Sleep, a new performance sleep drink to help high performers get the most out of their nightly rest. Impossible Sleep is a melatonin free sleep drink mix that provides deep recovery while gently lulling you to sleep. It only has two ingredients, with magnesium to promote muscle recovery and deep sleep, and L-theanine for a subtle calming effect that helps you wind down at the end of the day.
High achieving runners have to prioritize their sleep - it’s like a performance enhancing drug that allows us to absorb our training, improve, and race faster. The Impossible Sleep drink helps you optimize your bedtime routine so you can get as much deep recovery as possible.
When you consider that studies have shown that sleep loss can lead to glucose imbalances, increased anxiety, and your risk of getting sick, it’s a no-brainer to get as much high quality sleep as you can. Learn more about Impossible Sleep drink and be sure to use code Jason20 to save 20% on your first subscription order.
SAYSKY is a running apparel brand from Copenhagen with a unique, urban, minimalist vibe that I love. See all of their amazing gear at saysky.us.
Their mission is to elevate the apparel scene of running and nurse the next generation of athletes who love this sport, but also have a laid back mindset. Their products include long sleeve shirts, to t-shirts, half-tights, and full-length tights, base layers, sports bras, singlets, shorts… you name it.
But it’s not just their selection and style that speaks to me, they also carry environmentally responsible products. Look for the ‘Responsible’ logo and you can rest assured that that product is made from at least 40% recycled material, biodegradable, organic, or with natural fibers that are processed responsibility. This year, at least 50% of their products will be labeled responsible and they hope to be at 75% by 2025.
Get yourself some stylish, environmentally responsible, and incredibly high quality gear at saysky.us.
Listeners know I'm a relentless advocate of strength training, whether you're doing bodyweight exercises at home or lifting heavy in the gym.
But some runners take strength training to a level above and beyond the rest of us - and find great success along the way.
This week’s podcast features a fellow running coach and one of my private coaching clients, Elizabeth Corkum. Elizabeth - who goes by the nickname Corky - is a 2:58 marathoner and 5-day per week weightlifter.
Coach Corky has multiple coaching certifications, including USA Track and Field, Road Runners Club of America, and the Lydiard Foundation. She is also a certified personal trainer and specialist in sports nutrition.
Your path may or may not look exactly like hers, but you can learn a lot from her journey and our discussion, including:
Links & Resources from the Show:
A big thanks to Elemental Labs for their support of this episode! They make electrolyte drinks for athletes and low-carb folks with no sugar, artificial ingredients, or colors. And you can get a free sampler pack of 4 flavors and 8 individual packets when you pay $5 in shipping.
Elemental Labs' products have some of the highest sodium concentrations that you can find. Anybody who runs a lot knows that sodium, as well as other electrolytes like magnesium and potassium, are essential to our performance and how we feel throughout the day.
The citrus flavor has quickly become my favorite. I’m drinking one a day now to help me get enough fluids in our dry Colorado air. It’s tasty and delicious and I find that I’m not peeing every 45 minutes throughout the day, which might be an indication I wasn’t eating enough sodium.
There’s now mounting evidence that higher sodium intake levels are not unhealthy – and athletes need substantially more than your typical sedentary person. Of course, ask your doctor if you’re worried. But for those athletes running outside in the heat, an electrolyte replacement makes a lot of sense. So check out Elemental Labs to try their new flavor or get a free sampler pack.
We’re also supported by Impossible Sleep, a new performance sleep drink to help high performers get the most out of their nightly rest. Impossible Sleep is a melatonin free sleep drink mix that provides deep recovery while gently lulling you to sleep. It only has two ingredients, with magnesium to promote muscle recovery and deep sleep, and L-theanine for a subtle calming effect that helps you wind down at the end of the day.
High achieving runners have to prioritize their sleep - it’s like a performance enhancing drug that allows us to absorb our training, improve, and race faster. The Impossible Sleep drink helps you optimize your bedtime routine so you can get as much deep recovery as possible.
When you consider that studies have shown that sleep loss can lead to glucose imbalances, increased anxiety, and your risk of getting sick, it’s a no-brainer to get as much high quality sleep as you can. Learn more about Impossible Sleep drink and be sure to use code Jason20 to save 20% on your first subscription order.